The Sound of Proteins

A new study, conducted by researchers at the University of Glasgow, suggests that proteins "ring like a bell."

University of Glasgow researchers have used laser spectroscopy to measure the vibrational spectrum of the enzyme lysozyme.

The idea that proteins - and indeed other biomolecules - possess a coherent ring, was proposed by Erwin Schrödinger in his book "What is life?"

Researchers didn't pursue the idea at that time because they assumed that the ringing would be damped.

The protein lysozyme fights bacteria. University of Glasgow researchers said that it rings like a bell with a frequency of a few terahertzes or about one millionth of a millionth of hertz, according to a news release.

What's more is that the ringing wasn't heard from one part of the protein, but was from the entire enzyme, meaning that the vibration could be a way of energy transfer.

Researchers found that the ring lasts for fraction of a second. The timing is important because any change in the duration of the ring could lead to disruption in the biochemical pathway. Researchers said that if the proteins ring for less than a picosecond, then the reaction would become inefficient. Any longer, and the reaction would go on forever.

"This research shows us that proteins have mechanical properties that are highly unexpected and geared towards maximising efficiency. Future work will show whether these mechanical properties can be used to understand the function of complex living systems," said Klaas Wynne, Chair in Chemical Physics at the University of Glasgow, in a news release.

The study is published in the journal Nature Communication. 

Previously, University at Buffalo and Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute researchers had said that proteins in living tissues vibrate in different patterns. These ringing motions help the molecules to bind to other proteins.